Improvement in pumping-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. STEVENS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPlNG-ENGINES.

Specification forming parfs of Letters Patent No. 44,232, dated September 1.3, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that LWILLIAM J. STEVENS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reciprocating Direct-Actin g Steam-Pumps; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanyingr drawings, forming part of this specification, in Whichl Figure 1 represents' a central vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, a portion of the steam-chest and one of the small cylinders for operating the main steam-valve being removed. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same, the rear head of the water-cylinder being removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention consists in the arrangement and means of operatin g and regulating while in motion the lead 7 and motion of the main steam-valve relatively to the speed of the steam-piston, and affording a quick and and certain return-motion of the latter.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, with reference to the drawings.

In order to more clearly explain the application and harmony of operation of this invention when used with reciprocating pumps, I deem it necessary to describe a pump operating and in connection with it.

A, Fig. 1, represents vthe water-cylinder, which is formed with enlarged hell-shaped ends and with a supply-chamber, B, along its lower surface, and a discharge chamber, O, along its upper surface.

D is the piston and E E the cylinder-heads, and F F are disk-shaped valve-seats, placed vertically at the ends of the water-cylinder A, between the ends of the same and cylinderheads E E. The cylinder-heads E E are made cap or bowl shaped, with a horizontal partition, E, to each, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thus two distinct chambers, G and G', are formed in each cylinder-head E.

H H are openings in the valve-seats F F,

by which the chambers Gr communicate with the supply-chamber B, and H H are openings to communicate the chambers G' G with the disch arge-chamber G.

I I are the valve-openings in valve-seats F F, through which the supply is conducted from the chambers G G to the inside of the ends of the cylinder A, and J J are the valvevopenings through which the discharge from the ends of the cylinder A is made to the chambers G G.

K K are vertically-arranged flap-valves attached to the insides of the valve-seats F F, to work over the valve-openin gs .I I, and they may be hinged, when made ot' metal or made of rubber, and each riveted to its seat, but always to open to the piston l).

L L are similar lapyalves, but attached to the outsides ofthe valve-seats l" F, and to open from the piston over the openings J J.

It will be clearly seen from the foregoing that the Hap-valves K K and L L, being arranged to work upon vertical seats F F, will open or close very readily.

a represents the steam-cylinder, and b the steam-piston, iiXed upon the saine rod with the piston I) in the water-cylinder A.

c is the steam-chest, and d is the main valve, which is the com monly-known short three port valve, working upon lthe seat e, formed on the steam-cylinder a.

To either side of the steam-chest c are small single-acting cylinders, j' and j", provided with pistons g g', attached as shown in Fig. 2.

h is a horizontal shaft, placed at right angles and in line with the small cylinders fj", forward of the steamchest o, and working in bearings t' t', fixed upon the inner end of the steam cylinder a.

h is a portion of a toothed pinion, formed at the central portion and between bearings i t of the shaft It, and h IL are cranks on the ends ofthe same shaft h, they being placed at right angles to each other and at a proper distance to Work with connecting-rods jj, attached to the ends of piston-rods 7c k ot' the pistons g g in the small cylinders ff.

l is the valve-rod tothe main valve d, which works through a stuffing-box on the steamchest c, opposite the toothed pinion h upon the shaft It. Upon the end of this valve-rod lis formed a toothed rack-bar, l', extending under and gearing with the aforesaid pinion h.

m is a roller, under the rack-bar l, which is supported between the bearin gs t' t', and prevents the rack-bar l from disengaging.

N is a seconda-ry assistant valve, placed in the same steam-chest o, but Working upon two small seats,'0 0, formed in the. upper portion of the steam-chest c.

P and P are eduction-ports, which lead to the small cylinderf, and R and R are eduction-ports leading to cylinderj".

S is a cross-head at the rear end ot' the piston-rod ofthe piston b.

T is a sleeve, xed with trunnions working in the cross-head S.

U is a valve-rod to the assistant valve N, which Works through a stufling-box at the rear of the steam-chest c, and is supported and guided by an arm, V, fixed upon the rear end ofthe steam-cylinder a. The inner end of the valve-rod U is formed with a slotted head, u, in which a stud, n,f1Xed to the assistant valve N, Works with a certain lost motion.

WV is a lever Working on a iulcrum, w,t`1Xedon the arm V, having its lower arm made to slide in the sleeve T. The upper arln is provided with a slot, in which a pin, Y, is arranged so as to slide to or from thefulcrum ui, and which is held or moved at any time, While in motion,by a screw, Z, Working it,tixed in the end of the upper arm of the lever W.

z is a vertical slot formed on the valve-:rod U, to iit the pin or stud Y.

The operation of the steam-pump is as follows: The steam and Water piston l) and D are supposed to have arrived near the end of their stroke, as shown in Fig. l. The assistant valve N has been moved quickly by its stud u, valve-rod U, pin Y, lever XV, and the cross head S, oft' the porty P. Steam is now entering from the port P into the fore partof tie small oylinderf, and pushing its piston aid the crank h, (Which latter is at right angles to it,) as shown in red lines, rapidy back to a position shown in black dotted lines, Figs. l and 2, thus rotating the shaft h, moving the rack-bar 1, and so the main valve d, until said crank h is in line with the piston ot' the cylinder f, and the opposite crank,h,is at right angles, as shown in Fig. 2, when, suddenly stopping at this position, the main valve d has been thus changed to expose the eductionport, before closed, to be full open. The steam acting on the opposite side ot' the main steam-pistou b, the valve K of the rear end, and the valve L ofthe fore end, of the Water-cylinder are opened, the opposite valves closed, and thus the return of the steam and water pistons b and D reverse their motion. When arrived at the opposite end of the cylinders A and a, the assistant valve N has opened the port R to the small cylinderj", when the piston to the same changes the crank k" and h and the main valve d to the original position. Now, it will be clearly seen that bymoving the pin Y farther from, or nearer to the fulcrum w of the lever W, the lead of the main valve is changed and may be regulated sc as to correspond to the speed of the piston While in motion.

e YVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to XVM. J. STEVENS.

Witnesses R. BoEKLnN, HENRY F. MOGOWN. 

